Tanjore, or Thanjavur, is one of those places we had not heard of in life until a week before visiting! But luckily Rober found it ... and in the end it was super interesting! After arriving with our gambita, look for a good-beautiful and cheap accommodation and give up on the attempt (cheap there were but with cockroaches as fists included!) We found a cool place for about 800INR (in exchange about € 10) and we lay down a rag to rest… get a motorcycle ride!
In the afternoon however there was no time for a nap, that you had to visit the Brihadisvara temple, one of the most beautiful in India: and indeed ... what a wonder!
The temple, dedicated to Shiva, was built by the Chola, the dynasty that ruled southern India until the thirteenth century. It is full of architectural and sculptural details and it is impossible not to fall for its beauty, especially at sunset, when the sun gives it an even warmer touch. Inside the complex is one of the largest nandi (bull) statues in the country.
It is best to sit on the grass and spy on people: someone will always come to you asking for a picture of you or to take one! That's how we met this pretty girl, her grandmother, her cousin ... and those cheerful jiji boys.
The next day we went to visit the other attraction of the city: the Palace, although for us ... it was nothing of the other world! A nice room yes, but after seeing the Mysore Palace there is no comparison. Of course, Rober found a sculpture that caught his attention ...
We spent the rest of the day eating: gulab jamun, idlis, chicken ... and we weren't the only ones ... this dog often scared us when we passed the container and appeared to make a tremendous leap! This is India!
USEFUL INFO
Tanjore: It is a small city, with quite little trouble and not very touristy. Consequently, accommodations are scarce and poor. We were comparing a few in the city center but we were not convinced. In the end we went to the “New bus stand” area where they have built new hotels and there are quite a few restaurants. We stayed at Hotel XX, for INR 800 per night, the room was super good! (although without wifi).
The tempo is free and is one of the prettiest we saw. The visit is worth the truth. The Palace is not free but cheap. The best thing is the museum in the library, with lots of old copies written in various languages. There is a very horny painting of people who look like several animals (wild boars, bulls, birds ...).
Travel:
From Madurai you take the NH-45B that after a good handful of kilometers takes you to Trichy. There you have to turn off on Highway 67 until you reach Tanjore. Both are roads in good condition and you can go quite fast. In total there are 200km that we travel in 4 hours (as always, stop for breakfast included).
